how would you go about getting donations?

[machineman9]

strange thread, but please read on and it will make more sense


i have a friend who is coming out of hospital soon, she got put into hospital after getting a brain hemorrhage. soonish she is going to be coming out of hospital, after being there since about february ish time, but will still need some care and all that. our council wont pay for stuff that she needs at home.. like a new bed and a hoist and ambulences... so a group of her friends (and i volunteered to help too because shes a good friend of mine) volunteered to help out with this and try and get some money to help buy these things

but heres the problem... im 14 and money and the things that are needed dont come very easily for me. not to mention im a shy person inside (you probably wouldnt guess it but i am). i am also in the air cadets, i was going to ask them about it but each week another problem seems to have arrised with someone else there and i cant find the time to ask them right now


what would the population of simv suggest for me to do? after all that my friends been through its the least i can do to try and help


cheers

[spitfire boy]

I suppose if you cannot get money to help her, she'd appreciate moral support just as much...

[Xyn_Air]

Spitfire makes a great point.  Start by doing what you can do first, even if that means just being there for emotional support.  I say "just", but the emotional support of a friend can be very important to someone recovering from illness.

You may also want to seek help from an older person or persons that you trust.  If you and your friends have the enthusiasm and will to help, I am willing to bet that you can find someone a bit older who has the organizational skills to get you guys going in the right direction.  You may want to start at the local schools by asking a favorite teacher or counselor for help and ideas.  Take things step-by-step and progress can be made.  Often it isn't as fast as we would like, but it does happen.

Finally, if you are also on good terms with your friend's family, you may want to ask them how you can help or if they have any needs you can support them with.  Even now, they may be already working out solutions for your friend's care and could use an extra pair of enthusiastic hands (that'd be you) to help out.  Talk to them and get an idea of what they would like you to do, and that can give you a good start on what to do next.

Best of luck.  Your heart sounds absolutely in the right place, and I think your friend is better for having you there.  And, I hope your friend recovers quickly and smoothly, immediate transition problems aside.

All the best,
~Darrin

[machineman9]

thanks both of you...

i am going to try as best as i can to help support my friend through this... and i say this without trying to sound ignorant... but in this case there is alot that money can buy. im not asking for anything from anyone here mind you, but alot of the things she will need until healed as best as humanly possible are things that need to be bought  :-/

ill certainly ask around and see where i can be of use. my dad is currently in spain on holiday but when he gets back ill ask him for some advice... my mum and i get on great but i think my dad is better in these sorts of places

im also quite sure that things at school will be going on, certainly in year 10, for our friend... i think someone mentioned a cake sale or something, and if i know the school, there is often a donation box incases where something like this happens (or teachers need to get bought flowers because they are leaving us). something is often passed around the classes.


but thanks to both, your advice is going to help this go as far as it takes

[JBaymore]

Maybe find some friends to hold fund raising events like car washes, bake sales, lawn mowing, basement cleaning, window washing, and other such things.  Then get a local busines to sponsor some of the setup for them...like advertising the events, or providing the space for the car wash or bake sale, and so on.

Nice to hear that you are doing this.

best,

......................john

[Triple_7]

Not sure how things are in England.  But around here you will see a coffee can on a lot of gas station checkout counters.  Usually have a small picture with a short description.  Surprisingly they get quite a bit saved up out of those cans.

School could have a donation car wash or as you mentioned a bake sale.  A good friend of ours ended up with cancer a couple years ago.  She was in the hospital for several weeks, while she was out of school a coffee can was placed in every class room, and at main office for the 3 weeks or so.  The day she came back we were able to present her with almost $10,000  

And as already mentioned moral support goes much farther then the money

[machineman9]

thanks john. well there is a cake sale going on i believe... i was going to find out about something like bag packing in our local morrisons or something... lots of things like this are going on there. about a week and a half ago there were some people from the RAFA and regularly there are charity events happening there

ill check with the cadets soonish (getting uniform measured on thursday so it might have to be on the monday or when that is happening) to see if perhaps this sort of an idea could go ahead. there are about 3 people who go to my squadron who go to my school and so they know this girl too... im sure they would be happy to go forward and put this idea forward

[machineman9]

Not sure how things are in England.  But around here you will see a coffee can on a lot of gas station checkout counters.  Usually have a small picture with a short description.  Surprisingly they get quite a bit saved up out of those cans.

School could have a donation car wash or as you mentioned a bake sale.  A good friend of ours ended up with cancer a couple years ago.  She was in the hospital for several weeks, while she was out of school a coffee can was placed in every class room, and at main office for the 3 weeks or so.  The day she came back we were able to present her with almost $10,000  

And as already mentioned moral support goes much farther then the money

im sorry to hear that. my friend across the atlantic got brain cancer about 2 years ago (he stopped doing chemo several months ago.... and unfortunately has been re-diagnosed with it. now that is unlucky ) he got about $10k in money support too... but hes in quite good health

school is starting up on wednesday (where i start my GCSEs, woo) so lots of things will be able to be put forward there. that coin in a can idea sounds quite good.

the school office should probable allow us to set up a donation box there. the classes will probably put something together too.

thanks for the ideas, and moral is definately high, especially with her closest friends

[machineman9]

well good news is... hopefully next week on wednesday we are doing a cake sale and some other people are trying to get an out of uniform day for the school in order to raise donations for her...

once i get my cadet uniform ill ask about bag packing... some other non ATC people seem interested in doing it too so thats good for numbers


i do hope this all works out

edit: i just found out about this, but a recent car boot sale raised over

[spitfire boy]

Good for you mate. You're getting out there, getting motivated, and doing all you can to help people who need it.

The world needs more people like you...

I hope your friend's okay...

[machineman9]

its a long long road to recovery.. but she is getting there. thanks for your concern  :)

its the people looking after her that the world needs more of... ive done little compared to the great help of them.... but her recovering is enough motivation for anyone to keep trying to keep her in as good a shape as she can be in  ;)

[Ben R]

Mate, you seem like a great friend, and im sure she realizes that, and she probably understands that at your age, money doesnt come easy..

She would be very grateful for your moral support as Spitfire Boy said, im sure she realizes just how lucky she is to have a bunch of caring friends!

Machine, dont worry yourself if you cant help her out money-wise, the help will come.

You are a great friend, and thats a really nice thing your trying to do.

Ben

[machineman9]

thanks for the positive words Ben

a cake sale is taking part on wednesday for definate (i love my food so im definately going to be helping out with the sales ) and im sure more will come where i can help.

going to see her in hospital is a bit of a struggle because its a bit of a distance away and i cant feasably make it there... but there is certainly going to be lots of moral support when she does return back home

[Ben R]

thanks for the positive words Ben

a cake sale is taking part on wednesday for definate (i love my food so im definately going to be helping out with the sales ) and im sure more will come where i can help.

going to see her in hospital is a bit of a struggle because its a bit of a distance away and i cant feasably make it there... but there is certainly going to be lots of moral support when she does return back home

You are a great friend Machine! Best of luck in your cake sale, i really mean that, and good luck to your friend, i mean that too.

Ben

[machineman9]

thanks... i believe